provosty
/ˈprɒvəsti/ /ˈprɒvɒsti/Now historical
noun
= provostry, provostship, in various senses.
- Chiefly in French contexts; applied specifically to the jurisdiction of the prévôt de Paris, to the position of the supreme officer of the Châtelet prison, and to the office of the prévôt de l'Île de France, who formerly had charge of the safety of the highways of Paris and its environs..
Origin
Late Middle English. From Anglo-Norman provosté, provostee, also provostie office or function of a provost, stewardship, variants of Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French prevosté. Compare post-classical Latin praepositatus office of provost of a collegiate church, office of provost or reeve. Compare also Middle Dutch provestie, provostie, proostie (Dutch proosdij), Middle Low German prōvestīe, prōpstīe, prōstīe (goes to early modern Danish provstie, Danish provsti), Middle High German probestīe, provestīe, probstīe (German Propstei).